Ukraine sources claim to have hit Russian forces in Kherson

Ukraine said that its forces have struck Russian military positions in the southern Kherson region. It is one of the first regions Russia captured in the first phase of the invasion.

The Defence Ministry said that the Kyiv army's aircraft launched a series of strikes on Russian bases including where military equipment and personnel are accumulated. Field depots around five different Russian settlements were also hit, reported AFP.

The Ukraine army has been fighting to reclaim the territory. After Kyiv launched an offensive to recapture Kherson, the President said the military situation in the region is "tense". An official statement said a series of loud explosions were heard throughout the day and fighting continues on the borders of the region.

Kherson was annexed by Russia in 2014. Moscow's authorities in the Crimean peninsula have once again floated the idea of a referendum on integrating it with Russia. Authorities are also trying to introduce the Russian currency, the ruble into the region.

A report by US military sources has claimed that Ukraine's arsenal is depleted after over three months of war and is now completely dependent on its allies. Russia started invading Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Ukraine's army and its defense industry were built around Soviet and Russian-standard equipment like small arms, tanks, and howitzers. These are not interchangeable with the weapons of the West. Kyiv's army is now using or learning to use arms provided by the US and European NATO allies, reported AFP.

Until now, the West was also supplying Ukraine with Russian weapons as a precaution to keep away advanced technology from Russia. A US official said the country reached out to ex-Soviet nations also for parts and additional supplies. All of that is now used up and Ukrainian forces are now switched to unfamiliar weapons built based on Western standards.

The US is trying to supply a steady flow of weapons to Kyiv.